India Barnett

About me

  • Self-employed Actor
  • Studied: BA (Hons) Acting, 2021

About my career

I loved my audition at the Manchester School of Theatre. It is hard to get a feel of somewhere without going in person - I definitely got a good feeling of the schools’ values from that audition. I loved how the staff cared about getting the most out of you and pushing you far - more than I thought I had in me. 

My first job after graduating was for the newly released video game, STARFIELD, for Bethesda and Xbox. I did motion capture and head mounted camera work for over a year while the game was in development. 

I am currently a full-time, self-employed actor. There are busier periods and quieter periods. My main responsibility is constantly looking for opportunities, staying connected with the acting world and being proactive. The acting training I gained from Manchester Met has come into play at some point in my career so far - be that voice work, ensemble, or even objects exercise – it all crept up at moments I never expected it to. 

Training at drama school is amazing but being self-employed without the safety net of drama school forces you to find ways to continue your professional development. I don’t believe you can leave drama school knowing everything! I am about to start a training programme with Frantic Assembly to become a member of their company and I am so excited to continue learning. 

My top tip for students

Don’t stop being curious or wanting to learn. 

I’m inspired by

Creatives around me. 

Why I love Manchester Met

Doing what I love full time, five days a week, for three years, occasionally 12-hour days, very rare in the world of acting to have this again! 

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